


take my hand, hold it tight

by orphan_account



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Growing Up, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:21:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23692276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: connie and steven through the most formative years of their lives.
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe
Comments: 9
Kudos: 61





	1. twelve

Connie is twelve and on the floor of Steven’s living room, legs resting on his couch and crossed at the ankles. She wriggles her socked feet, staring up at the ceiling as sweat gathers around her temple. In the summers, Beach City was positively sweltering. She cursed her long hair, which was now pooled out around her but usually felt like a heavy curtain on her neck and shoulders. Summers for Connie were usually lonely, she spent many of the days either in her room or exploring the neighborhood alone. With her father being a security guard, they tended to travel a lot. While there was always a new town for Connie to investigate, she never really made any friends. 

Connie was certain that staying in Beach City for an indeterminate amount of time would yield the same results, and was positively giddy when that prospect was shattered by a certain Steven Universe. They became fast friends, and one important aspect of that friendship was the loaning of books, of which Connie had many. Steven didn’t read many books, as he mainly stuck to comics, but he knew how much she loved to read and wanted to know what books were her favorite. Connie was elated, and indulged him in her current favorite series. 

Connie warned him that The Hunger Games was violent and grim, but Steven assured her he could handle it. It took him some time, he wasn’t a speed-reader like Connie, but read the book cover to cover and called her on the phone the minute he was finished. He had  _ so _ many feelings about it, and Connie cut him off before he could say anything because  _ they needed to discuss this in person immediately. _

Which is how Connie found herself laying in Steven’s living room while Steven put the homemade ice pop's in his freezer. She was surprised to find that they didn’t have A. C., Steven explained that the gems didn’t sweat, so it seemed a little pointless. They had a fan, however, and it gave a low hum as it oscillates back and forth, casting a cool breeze and causing strands of Connie’s hair to fly around her face. She was too limp from the heat to bother smoothing it away. She adjusted her glasses as they threatened to slip down her nose. Normally, she’d be sitting properly on Steven’s couch, back straight and hands on her lap. But it was  _ hot _ , and Connie decided to save her usual polite stiffness for another day.

“Okay, first of all, I understand that the whole point of having Rue in the Hunger Games is to further elaborate the cruelty of the Capitol when it comes to pitting the District’s children against each other, but I still can’t handle the fact that she died.” Steven starts, returning from the kitchen to lay down next to her. 

Connie nodded seriously. “Oh, exactly. I was a  _ mess.  _ But I think that’s the reason Katniss decides to rebel in the first place. Lots of people say that Prim is the mockingjay of the story, but I fully believe it’s Rue. She’s the first one to introduce Katniss to the mockingjay call in the arena. It only makes sense.” She finally musters up the strength to tuck her hair behind her ear. “Favorite character?”

Steven hums for a moment, hands clasped and resting on his stomach. “Peeta, for sure. He doesn’t really represent a ‘regular’ male in a story, does he?” 

Connie throws her arms in the air. “Yes!” she exclaims, she turns to him excitedly. “ _ You,  _ you get it! So many kids in my classes don’t like Peeta, but I think he subverts a lot of tropes that are typically assigned to the main love interest. He’s kind and compassionate, but those aren’t weaknesses.”

“Yeah, I think his personality compliments Katniss in a way that Gale’s doesn’t.” Steven remarks. “Plus, he works in a bakery. So, in a happier world, Peeta totally bakes bread and pastries for Katniss and that’s how they fall in love.”

_ “Nerd!”  _ Connie shouts with a laugh, she shoves him playfully in the shoulder. “You’re such a romantic, Steven.”

He laughs, pushing his curls out of his forehead. “When does the second book come out?”

“Sometime next year.” Connie gives a groan. “I don’t know how much more I can wait. But when the movie comes out, you and I  _ have _ to see it together.”

Steven turns to her, and the utter elation on his face throws her for a loop. “That would be great!” he said, and Connie felt rather wrong-footed. Of course, she had meant what she said, but Steven had agreed so quickly, as if there was nothing else in the world he’d rather do. Nobody had been that excited to hang out with her before. 

The thought embarrasses her somewhat. She remembers spending many a day lamenting over her lack of friends, and the loneliness that would creep in at the most inopportune times. Her parents had tried to placate her, saying that as long as she kept trying, she’d find her own group of friends soon. It had felt like a lie, then. Connie is pulled out of her thoughts when Steven brings out a board game, and they pass the time playing while the ice pop's chill. To sate their thirst, Steven brings them two cups of lemonade and the topics go from books to cartoons to favorite animated movies. 

“Personally,” Connie says, moving her plastic piece across the board. “I think animated films don’t get enough credit. The work that goes into hand-drawn animation is insane, and while CGI is wonderful, it’s sad to see traditional animation slowly dying out.”

“CGI is just easier,” Steven agreed, giving a solemn nod as he moved his piece across the board. “I also like claymation movies, as well.” Steven glances to the clock on the wall and gets up. “I think the ice pop's are ready!”

They finish up the board game and eat their ice pop's on the couch. They turn out pretty well, and it helps that Connie thought ahead and bought a mold. They have three ice pop's each with different fruit flavors and eat them on the couch. It helps stave off the heat, and Steven switches his pineapple ice pop with Connie’s watermelon. Connie had never shared ice pop's with a friend before. Her mother wasn’t fond of Connie eating sugary treats, and even now she feels a little guilty, but she watches Steven lick his fingers out of the corners of her eyes and something in her can’t help but smile. The realization grounds her for a second. 

Steven was her friend. Her first friend in a really long time. And here she was, discussing books and eating ice pop's. It was more than she ever expected when she came to Beach City, and Connie never thought she would love being wrong this much.

Perhaps…Connie feels her throat close up. Her eyes burn. Perhaps her lonely days were finally drawing to a close.

“So,” Steven says as they finish up their ice pop's. “Until the next book comes out, what’re you gonna read until then?”

“Oh,” Connie steadies her voice and grins, blinking to dispel the threat of tears in her eyes. “I have a  _ great _ series for you! I started reading the books last month…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wanted this fic to start off after steven and connie first met each other in bubble buddies. i did some searching online, but for some reason i couldn't find out exactly how old they were in B.B., so for the sake of this fic i decided to make them both twelve and go from there. 
> 
> the ongoing chapters will be longer than this first one, but i hope you all enjoy it anyway!


	2. thirteen

Thirteen is turning out to be a difficult year for Connie. For one thing, she had gotten her first period in school. It was a painful, mortifying experience for her, and she had to suffer through the rest of the school day in agony. Her mother was supportive and strangely warm about the whole thing, Connie figured her mother was waxing nostalgia about the first time she got her period. It was meant to be helpful, but all Connie could feel, aside from the horrible cramps, was a sense of dread sinking in her stomach like a heavy stone. As time went on, she learned to deal with it and her locker at school was continuously stocked with everything she might need in case of emergencies. 

Thirteen also came with a different set of perspectives and mindsets. Connie was starting to really understand the plights of womanhood. Just thinking about the fact that girls in the 19th century had to deal with periods as well, but didn’t have the luxury of sanitary napkins or advanced medicine to deal with pain made Connie’s heart clench with sympathy. She didn’t know how the female race survived having to deal with this every freaking month. The next several years of Connie’s life were looking incredibly dull if this is what she had to look forward to. 

Connie had always been mature for her age, but this marked a new level of maturity for her. Now was the time to get her head on straight and grip life by the horns. She started signing up for clubs at school in an attempt to expand her social circle. No longer was she going to be a wallflower, Connie Mehaswaran was going out and getting what she wanted! In an effort to create a smoother transition for herself, Connie decided to face a few of her anxieties head on, one of which was crowds.

So when Steven proposed they spend the day at the boardwalk, Connie had agreed immediately. The day was warm, and the Beach City boardwalk was teeming with people. Connie didn’t go to the boardwalk often, preferring instead to find a quiet, secluded spot on the beach to spend her day. When Connie saw just how many people were walking about, the urge to turn heel and find her usual spot on the beach rose up like a bad itch. Steven must’ve noticed how nervous she was, because he suddenly reached out and clasped their hands together. Connie looked down at their intertwined fingers. 

“Ready to go?” he asked, sweet and chipper as usual. Connie was able to muster up a weak smile, her legs were already giving off a faint tremble. “If you don’t want to do this…”

“No,” Connie shook her head. “no, I want to go. This’ll be fun.” 

“Okay, but whenever you want to leave, just say so.” Connie’s heart melted, Steven was so considerate of her. At the risk of sounding cliche, Connie noted that Steven really wasn’t like any other boy she met (magic gem and powers aside). They started by getting fry bits, Connie wasn’t sure why they couldn’t just get regular fries, but Steven insisted that fry bits were worth the odd looks from the other customers in line with them. Connie was a little hesitant, she wasn’t usually permitted to eat fries. 

Steven looked at her when she told him this, aghast, but his expression quickly cleared when he saw Connie’s eyebrows furrow in worry. He had a greasy paper bag of fry bits to share between them, and looked into the bag thoughtfully. 

“Y’know, if you don’t want to eat these we can always get something different. There’s loads of great food here!” Steven perked up like a daisy in bloom, and Connie couldn’t help but smile at him. 

“Well,” she said, letting the word draw out. “I guess it’s fine for today. What my parents won’t know won’t hurt them, right?” Steven’s smile was big enough to split, and a thrill went up Connie’s spine at the sight of it. 

“Right!” he laughed, full of joy, and they shared the bag of fry bits as they continued their excursion through the boardwalk. As it turned out, the fry bits were pretty good, if a bit unnecessary in Connie’s defense. For some reason, she craved the salt and grease, and chalked it up to her ravenous appetite (yet another thing she had to worry about alongside the cramps). Steven guided her to Funland as the bits between them dwindled into crumbs and they threw the bag away. 

Connie knew that the boardwalk could get crowded on a day as pretty as this, but seeing just how many people there are still unnerved her to a degree. Steven didn’t seem to mind, he dove right into the crowd and introduced her to a plethora of fun games and bright lights. Connie tried her best to be engaged, but her mind kept wandering. She felt that familiar buzz of anxiety crawl across her skin. Steven took her to the skee-ball games and asked her to wait before disappearing into the crowds.

Connie forced a smile and waited patiently for Steven to come back, clasping her hands behind her back as she took in the smell of popcorn and the occasional screams of adrenaline that came from the roller coaster. Connie felt hot and wiped at the back of her neck. It was warm today, sure, but that didn’t explain why she was sweating so much. Goodness, now she had to worry about sweat stains. That wasn’t attractive at _all_. Connie looked down at her shirt, there wasn’t anything visible. What if it was on her back? Was it obvious she was sweating so much? When did the world become so small?

Steven reappeared in her line of vision, taking her hand and gently placing a handful of gold coins into her palm. “Now we can play skee-ball!” he exclaimed, and Connie tried to match his enthusiasm. She allowed him to go first, and watched as Steven played. He seemed entirely in his element, even when he missed and came out with a measly amount of tickets. Connie felt jealousy squirm in her stomach. After a few rounds, Steven paused, the ball still clutched in his grip, and turned to face her.

“Why don’t you play, too?” he asked, and pointed. “There’s another game next to me.” 

“Oh.” Connie said, blushing down to the roots of her hair. Embarrassment was a tidal wave tossing her into the sea, and Connie cleared her throat. “Right. Yeah….okay.” She fixed her glasses superfluously and slipped a coin into the coin slot. A ball rolled out, and time seemed to slow down for her. The action of picking up the ball and rolling it upwards seemed to take eons, and every movement of her arm felt strange and unfamiliar, as if it were no longer an extension of her own body. 

Were people staring at her? Connie felt her heart pick up speed at the thought. There were children her age inside the arcade as well. They traveled in groups, and Connie began to wonder if they were watching her play the game. Did her hair look weird? She was so tall and awkward, Connie was certain her body looked odd. Her shoulders were tense, why on earth couldn’t she just relax?

“Wow Connie!” Steven said, snapping Connie out of her worried spiral. A stream of tickets poured out onto the carpet. “You’re pretty good at this game.” the tension slipped out of her shoulders ever so slightly, and Connie rubbed at the back of her neck. 

“Oh, well. I do take tennis.” she remarked, and made a muscle. “I guess I have a pretty good arm.” 

“That’s so cool. I didn’t know you played sports.” Steven replied, and the way he said it made her playing tennis sound like the greatest thing in the world. “I like football, myself, but the gems haven’t really gotten the game down right.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Pearl says it’s too barbaric, and Garnet throws too hard. Amethyst likes the game, but Pearl doesn’t like it when she tackles me. She says it’s rough-housing.” 

“If you want, I could show you how to play tennis.” Connie offered, and the thought soothed her somewhat. A game they could play with two people, somewhere far from onlookers. They wouldn’t need to go to the boardwalk to play games…

“I’d like that.” Steven said, and Connie took her tickets. No, she was supposed to face her fears, wasn’t she? She couldn’t give up now, their day together just started, after all. It was going to take some used to being around large groups of people, and the best way to do that was through constant exposure. After playing a few more games (Steven played most of them, Connie stood on the sidelines and watched), Connie felt herself relax just a little. But the anxiety in her would buzz to a fever pitch now and again, leaving her winded and shaky as if she had just run a series of laps. 

When they had enough of the arcade, Steven took his tickets to the ticket counter and eyed the array of prizes behind a friendly looking Mr. Smiley, who greeted them politely. 

“Do you see something you like?” Connie asked, and Steven hummed in thought. 

“I really like the turntables, and the lava lamp is really cool.” 

“That telescope is nice.” Connie pointed, squinting behind her glasses. “It’s 1500 tickets, though.” 

“Yeah,” Steven replied glumly. Connie heard a group of kids walking behind them. They seemed to be whispering among each other, and one of them snorted before they all broke into laughter. Something zip-lined up her back. Connie suddenly felt self-conscious, were they laughing at her? At Steven? The arcade suddenly felt devoid of air, and Connie shifted on her feet. 

“I’m going to go and get some air.” she told Steven, who was still perusing the aisle of prizes. 

“Okay.” he said distractedly.

Connie practically sprinted outside, leaning her back against the wall of the arcade as she tried to catch her breath. It was _hot_ , and Connie felt miserable. Why in the world was she so...paranoid? Nobody was laughing at her, they weren’t even interested in her! She was being dumb and silly and her stomach hurt. Connie sighed and ran a hand through her hair, pushing her bangs out of her forehead. This whole thing was terrible. Connie should’ve declined Steven’s offer to the boardwalk and insisted they spend the day inside. She was still a little new around the Crystal Gems, but she knew they wouldn’t stare at her for prolonged periods of time. They wouldn’t snort and judge her for simply _existing_ …

“Here you go!” A flash of white engulfs her vision, and Connie rears back in surprise. The blue glass eyes of a white plush unicorn stare her in the face. The hair is teal and the horn is glitter silver. “I saw you looking at it back there, and I thought...y’know, maybe you’d like it?” Steven says, sounding unsure. Connie didn’t sleep with stuffed animals, she only had one and it got stowed away in the attic when she was eleven. But Steven looks so hopeful, declining it was borderline cruel. 

“Aw, thanks Steven.” Connie takes the offered unicorn. It was soft and it smelled nice...and it was cute. Really cute, in fact. She liked it. “But...didn’t you get yourself something?”

Steven flushed at that, and his eyes darted to the ground. “Well, no. I couldn’t decide what I wanted so I figured...why not get Connie a unicorn?” Steven dared to look up at her, and the shy expression on his face slipped away into one of fright. “Are you okay? Why are you crying?!”

“I-I’m not…!” Connie gasped, placing a hand over her eyes to shield her tears. “I’m not crying!” but she _was_ , and the mortification of it all made her knees weak. 

“Yes, you are.” Steven insisted. “What’s wrong? Is...is it the unicorn? Because I can go back and get you something different, something...cooler! Just wait here--”

“No.” Connie interjected, her voice hoarse and thick. “No, I just…” she takes a deep breath, but she still can’t bear to look at him. “Oh, Steven. I don’t feel well. C-Could we go somewhere? Somewhere with less people?” her voice is tiny and brittle, on the verge of breaking apart altogether, and it makes her cry even harder. The force of holding back her sobs makes her chest and shoulders heave. 

Steven takes her free arm and his touch grounds her. “Of course, just follow me.” 

The inside of the Big Donut is mercifully cool and devoid of people. By the time they get there, Connie has stopped crying, and is wiping at her face. She doesn’t speak, her voice has failed her, but Steven doesn’t seem to mind. Lars and Sadie are at the counter, appearing to be in the midst of a rather heated debate. 

“I’ll get us some water.” Steven says. “Do you want anything else?” 

Connie’s eyes dart to Lars and Sadie and she shakes her head, prying her lips apart “No, water is fine.” she croaks and Steven squeezes her hand before going up to the counter. 

“I’m just _saying_ \--” Sadie throws her hands up in a half shrug motion. “I think it’s lame that we have to stay open until nearly ten! I mean, we stop getting customers at around eight-thirty anyway. Who’s gonna buy a bunch of donuts at ten at night?”

“Uh, stoners for one.” Lars says, as if it were obvious. “The donuts we don’t sell get thrown out, might as well wait around for someone to buy them before they just go into the trash--”

“Hey Lars, Sadie.” the conversation halts, and Steven digs into his pants pocket and pulls out a five dollar bill. “Can I get two bottles of water?” he turns to look back at Connie, who is fiddling with the hair of the unicorn he bought her. “And maybe a chair?” 

Sadie smiles down at him, and her eyes dart over to Connie in the corner. “Is that your little friend that was trapped in the bubble with you?” she inquired, and Steven nodded. 

“Yeah, she doesn’t feel very good.” then he muttered softly to himself. “I think the crowds at the boardwalk make her uncomfortable.” 

Sadie doesn’t move for a minute. She glances back to Steven and leans onto the glass counter. “Hey, Steven, why don’t you and Lars grab some chairs from the back? There’s a table too that’s easy to lift if you want.”

Steven brightens immediately. “Really?!”

 _“What?!”_ Lars yelped, giving Sadie an indignant look. “No, I’m not hauling a table and chairs from the back!” 

Sadie turns to him, frowning. “Just do it, Lars!” she hisses in a low whisper, and Lars blinks in surprise. Sadie rarely snapped at him. “We don’t have any customers right now, anyway.” For the sake of appearances, Lars manages one last glare in Sadie’s direction before his shoulders slump. He gives a loud, exasperated sigh and heads to the back. 

“Fine!” he groans, and inclines his head to Steven. “C’mon, Steven.” Steven cheers and runs around the counter. Lars holds the door open for him and they disappear into the back room. Sadie grabs two water bottles from the mini fridge and joins Connie by the corner. 

“Hey.” Sadie greets, and passes Connie the water. She takes it, and the tremble in her fingers is noticeable. “It’s pretty hot out there, huh?”

“Yes.” Connie responds, voice small and mannerly. “Thank you.” 

“No problem.” Sadie watches as Connie unscrews the cap and takes a swig of water. A momentary silence lapses between them before Sadie speaks again. “Steven says you guys went to the boardwalk? That sounds like fun.” 

Connie looks down at the unicorn clutched one armed to her chest and shrugs. “I guess.”

“I used to go to the boardwalk alot when I first started working here.” Sadie begins conversationally. “But it got old pretty quick, I don’t really like crowds.” 

Connie’s head perks up. “You don’t?”

“Nah,” Sadie shakes her head. “I get all fidgety. Too many people in one place.” 

“Oh, I--” Connie cuts herself off as a brief flash of pain crosses her face before she forces her expression back into one of neutral indifference. “I do too.”

“Are you okay, Connie?” Sadie gives her a worried look and Connie nods quickly. 

“I’m fine. It’s just...hot. That’s all.” 

“Hmm,” Sadie hums, and takes a quick guess “is your period on?”

Connie, in the midst of taking another sip of her water, nearly chokes. She wipes at her mouth, giving a small cough. Sadie winces, mentally berating herself as she pats Connie lightly on the back. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable!” Sadie apologizes quickly. Connie waves her apology away, clearing her throat. 

“No, no. It’s okay.” Connie slumps against the wall, and the misery is more evident on her face now. “My period is on, and I was trying to face my fears today. But it didn’t work, and I feel like crap.”

“By facing your fears...you mean at the boardwalk today?”

“Yeah. I was trying to be brave and be more social but all I felt was anxious. I didn’t want to ruin Steven’s day, he was so happy about us having fun together at the arcade.” Connie heaves a sigh, and her eyes are burning again. “But I hate crowds and I hate feeling like people are constantly staring at me even though they’re not! It’s weird and _I’m_ weird and I just...ugh!” Connie slides down onto the floor, as if all the willpower had gone out of her.

Sadie gives her a sympathetic smile even if Connie can’t see it with her face currently buried in her knees. She’s about to offer some advice, but there’s a series of loud bangs coming from the back room and the door flies open. Steven has two chairs underneath both his armpits, and he drags them across the floor as Lars trails behind him, a hard plastic table in his arms. Sadie almost wants to laugh at the way Lars knees buckle underneath him. 

“We got the chairs and table!” Steven announces gleefully. Lars sets the table down with an exhausted groan and rubs at his lower back. 

“Yeah, you’re welcome.” Lars’ voice is dripping with sarcasm and Sadie rolls her eyes. He was such a drama queen. The chairs are unfolded, and Steven gestures Connie over. She stands up quickly and makes her way over. Her footsteps falter and she turns back to Sadie with a pointed look. 

Sadie gives her a quick thumbs up, and Connie visibly sags in relief. She takes the last seat and sets her unicorn down on the table. Sadie excuses herself and goes behind the counter, ignoring Lars grumbling as he disappears into the back; complaining about needing to use the bathroom. 

“I didn’t know you didn’t like crowds.” Steven began. “I mean, I had a feeling, but I wasn’t entirely sure. I’m sorry.”

Connie blinks in surprise. “What? What’re you sorry for?”

“I feel like I made you uncomfortable!” Steven admits, guilt written across his features. “I want us to hang out more, but I don’t want to force you into doing something you don’t like.”

“Steven,” Connie interjects gently. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable or force me into doing anything. If anything, I should be apologizing to you! I feel like I ruined our entire day with my...problems.”

“Wha-no!” Steven reaches out to clasp her hand, a motion he doesn’t even think about but Connie does. “You could never ruin my day! I...I like hanging out with you.” 

Connie can feel a heat rise to her face, one unlike the heat from the sun. It’s something far more pleasant. The knot of anxiety in her stomach is replaced with a strange flutter. 

“I like hanging out with you, too.” 

Sadie brings them both doughnuts before sitting back behind the counter and scrolling through her phone. She tries not to glance up at the two of them, and bites her bottom lip when Steven and Connie transition into smoother conversation, laughing and joking among themselves. 

Connie’s mom calls to tell her she’ll be around to pick her up in two hours. They have time, but for now, Connie is content to sit with Steven in the Big Donut, the chill from the A.C. is a blessing, and she feels almost sleepy. Steven begins to lapse into a story about one of his missions with the Crystal Gems and Connie listens attentively. She rubs the soft head of her stuffed unicorn absentmindedly.

Connie is sitting in the back seat of her mother’s car. Beach City rolls behind them as they leave it behind and back onto the familiar roads of her encroaching neighborhood. She glances out the window, giving a silent goodbye to the sea. 

“Did you have fun today, Connie?” Priyanka asks, giving a brief glance at Connie from the rear view mirror. 

She thinks. Her cramps are getting worse. Her fingers are sticky from the icing on the doughnut her mom would’ve never allowed her to have. She still feels self-conscious about bursting into tears in front of Steven, and the memory will most likely haunt her for a while. She thinks of Steven’s brilliant smile and how he used all of his tickets to buy her a gift.

It was _exhausting_ , growing up.

“Yeah,” Connie murmurs softly. “it was okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> poor connie, growing up is just a pain!
> 
> i had my first bout of anxiety when i was 13 and went to visit my grandmother in texas and we went to six flags. it was supposed to be a surprise, and i didn't have the heart to tell my grandmother and my aunt that i didn't like amusement parks. it was also a million degrees outside and i was pretty miserable the entire time. now that i'm 22 and looking back on it, i wouldn't trade those memories of texas for the world. it was bad, but it wasn't terrible, y'know? 
> 
> good things can come from bad situations, and i wanted to show that in this chapter. enjoy and tell me what you think! thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> i wanted this fic to start off after steven and connie first met each other in bubble buddies. i did some searching online, but for some reason i couldn't find out exactly how old they were in B.B., so for the sake of this fic i decided to make them both twelve and go from there. 
> 
> the ongoing chapters will be longer than this first one, but i hope you all enjoy it anyway!


End file.
